Combined graphophone and motor.



No. 680,794. Patented Aug. 20, I90I.

T. H. MACDONALD.

COMBINED GBAPHOPHOME AND IWGTDR.

(Application filed Sept. 16, 1897.) (No Model.)

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llrvrrnn STATES Parent Crimes.

THOMAS H. MACDONALD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, OF VEST VIRGINIA.

COitlBlNED GRAFHOPHGNE AND MOTOR.

fiEECIFICATEQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,794, dated August20, 1901.

Application filed September 16, 1897. Serial No. 651,912. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MACDONALD, of Bridgeport, Connecticut,have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Graphophone andMotor, which improvements are fully set forth in the followingspecification.

This invention has reference to the construction of sound recording andreproducl0 ing apparatus generally known as graphophones; and itsobjectis to simplify the construction of the mechanism (decreasing thecost, complexity, and liability to derangement) without sacrificing but,on the contrary, improving the quality of the acoustical results.

To this end I have designed new arrangements of the spring-motormechanism and the parts of the graphophone (the mandrel and feed-screw)driven thereby, whereby greater compactness and rigidity are secured,the graphophone and motor in the improved construction constituting asingle complete mechanism. Ihave also made improvements in the drivingmechanism, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 is a plan View of a combined graphophone and motor constructedin accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section online 2 2, I Fig. 1.

The frame of the mechanism consists of three uprightplates A A A Thefirst two are of the same shape and extend the full width of themachine, the motor mechanism being supported between them. Plates A Aare rigidly connected together by a tie-rod a at the top of the platesand about the mid-- dle thereof, and tire-rods a a at opposite sides ofthe plates near the bottom thereof. Rod a is prolonged and attached atits farther end to the bottom of plate A The lat ter is also connectedto plate A by a sleeve a which contains the feed-screwB and passesloosely through a hole in plate A. Sleeve a constitutes the sliding wayfor the carriage C of the recorder or reproducer, and rod (1, serves asa guide for the tailpiece C, which depends from the under side of thecarriage, as in previous constructions. The lower extremity of saidtailpiece is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The whole frame thusconstituted may be set on a bed-plate A or on any other suitablesupport. The mandrel-shaft E has its bearings in plates A A and islocated about midway between the ends of said plates or just beneath rod0;. The arbors of the motor mechanism also have their lbearings inplates A A.

D represents the barrel of the mainspring, (preferably a tandem orduplex spring,) mounted on arbor d,on which is also mounted a spur-gearc. This gear through a pinion f and gearf on the same arbor therewithdrives pinion b on the shaft of the feed-screw. Through a separate trainof gears comprising pinion g, spur-gear g on the same arbor, and pinion7t motion is communicated to arbor h, which extends through plateA andhas on its end a driving-pulley t'. The latter through a belt j drivespulley on the mandrelshaft E. The belt and pulleys are preferablycovered by a casing 70. Arbor h also carries a spurear 1, Fig. 1, whichdrives a pinion m on the governor-shaft n. The governor is of the typedescribed in my Patent No. 587,265, dated July 27, 1897.

l'eretofore the mandrel-shaft has usually been connected by gearing tothe feed-screw, so as to drive the latter, or the feed-screw and mandrelhave been on the same shaft. The object of the improved construction isto make the mandrel independent of the feedscrew. By this construction,the feed-screw being driven by a train of gears and the mandrel by abelt from an independent train of gears, I am able to a large extent toprevent vibrations from the gearing and from the feed-screw beingcommunicated to the mandrel and impairing the recording or reproductionof sounds.

For operating the centrifugal governor as abrake and also as aspeed-regulator for varying speeds a lever M is pivoted on a projectionof plate A and carries at one end a leather stud 0, adapted to makecontact with the rotatory friction-disk L of the governor. Anadjusting-screw N determines the normal position of the lever, which inturn determines the speed of rotation of the motor. A bent arm P,pivoted at p to plate A, has its rear end extending over and pressingupon lever M. Arm P can be turned on its pivot by means of a handle 19,so that the pressure of its rear end upon lever M will be shifted fromone side of the pivot-point of said lever to the other, thereby tiltingthe lever in either direction to start the motor or to stop it bycausing stud 0 to bear forcibly against disk L.

The carriage O for the recorder and reproducer is or may be similar inconstruction and operation to that heretofore used and requires nodescription.

Heretofore the graphophone and its motor (whether electric, spring, ortreadle) were separate and distinct mechanisms, the former being simplyconnected with and driven from the latter by means of a belt. Theprincipal departure in construction effected by the present invention isthe consolidation of the two into one concrete mechanism or struc ture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a graphophone the combination of a frame having two upright platessecured to a suitable base, a motor-spring having its shaft j ourna-ledin said plates, a mandrel-shaft having hearing at one end only where itis journaled in said plates said shaft projecting from and lying outsideof the plates at its outer end, a feed-screw shaft separate from themandrel-shaft journaled in the frame, and gearing connecting thespring-shaft with the mandrel-shaft and with the feed-screw shaft.

2. In a graphophone the combination of a frame consisting of uprightplates rigidly secured together, of a motor-spring mounted on a shaftjournaled in said plates, a mandrelshaft journaled at one end only insaid plates and at its other end projecting bodily therefrom, a mandrelon the projecting end of said shaft, a feed-screw shaft separate fromthe mandrel-shaft journaled in said plates, driving connections betweenthe spring-shaft and the mandrel-shaft, and other driving connectionsbetween the spring-shaft and the feedscrew shaft.

The combination with the mandrel-shaft and screw-shaft of a graphophone,of a motor, one line of connections from said motor for driving saidmandrel, and separate connections for driving said feed-screw,substantially as described.

4. The combination With the mandrel-shaft and screw-shaft of agraphophon e, of a springmotor, connections between the main shaft ofsaid motor and the mandrel, and separate connections from said mainshaft to said screw-shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the mandrel-shaft and screw-shaft journaledinsuitable bearings, of a spring-motor, a belt and pulleys for drivingsaid mandrel-shaft from one of the arbors of said motor, and separatedriving connections between the main shaft of the motor and saidscrew-shaft, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a base with frameplates secured thereto, amotor-spring between two of said plates and having its shaft journaledtherein, a mandrel-shaft lying outside of said plates but having one endjournaled therein, a screw-shaft journaled. in said frame-plates, oneline of connections from the spring-shaft to the mandrel-shaft andseparate connections from the spring-shaft to the screw-shaft,substantially as described.

7. The combination with frame-plates secured to a suitable base, of amotor-spring between two of said plates and having its shaft j ournaledtherein, a mandrel-shaft j on rnaled in said plates but projectingbodily therefrom, a belt and pulleys through which motion iscommunicated from the springshaft to the mandrel-shaft, a screw-shaftalso journaled in said frame-plates and separate driving connectionsbetween the spring-shaft and the screw shaft, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. MAOD ONALD.

Witnesses:

M. A. Foco, A. B. KEOUGH.

